Friday, 10 January 2014

I think there's still time to slip in a legitimate happy new year to all you lovely dipsomaniacs. To you detoxers and dryathaletes, good luck, but having stupidly dallied with sobriety last January, this year I'll be dodging abstinence and making sure I support all those brave January hedonists instead. So let's ease into this month with something full of winter-fruit tastes but with a hint of new year optimism, the Ms. Negroni.

Hazily reverse engineered from a pre-Christmas trip to a little bar called Tozi, this cocktail takes a negroni base, then spikes it with a tart hit of blackberries and softens the Campari bitterness with a shot of Chambord. So if you're usually a little cautious with bitter drinks, definitely give this one a go. You can thank me later for suggesting this gateway drink into all those delicious Italian cocktails you'll be knocking-back at barbecues in six-months time.

You'll need:

50ml gin

50ml sweet vermouth

25ml Campari

25ml Chambord

8 blackberries

Make It:

In a shaker, muddle five of the blackberries with the gin.

Add the sweet vermouth, Campari and Chambord.

Drop in a handful of ice before shaking vigorously for ten seconds.

Strain into a small tumbler.

Garnish with the remaining blackberries.

Sip and choose to forget a few of your most boring new year resolutions.